Tuesday, September 06, 2005

de Toqueville offers explanation for New Orleans

From PalosVerdesBlog, a refresher on de Toqueville's analysis of American democracy.

However, Tocqueville recognized a potential danger that citizens might cede their independence to a benevolent government that labored for their happiness but “chose to be the sole agent and only arbiter of that happiness.” What would remain, he said, but to “spare them all the care of thinking and all the trouble of living.”
And a tie to New Orleans.

The barriers that separate civilization from barbarism were as weak as the levees.


Read it all.

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